System and method for selection of development processes needing corrective action

Abstract

A system and method for selection of development processes that require corrective action is presented. A process improvement lessons learned procedure classifies and assigns priority rankings to improvable development processes. A process improvement lessons learned procedure includes several stages of list expansions and reductions that consider the probability of poor use of resources, the probability of a process being ineffective, and the probability of a process causing schedule impacts. The probabilities are multiplied together to not only provide a list of continuous improvement possibilities a team addresses, but a continuous improvement priority ranking provides a team with the order in which resources should be applied to each improvable development process.

1 . A computer-implemented method comprising: 
 identifying a plurality of improvable development processes;    applying a plurality of rankings to each of the plurality of improvable development processes;    calculating a priority ranking for each of the plurality of improvable development processes using each of the improvable design processes' corresponding plurality of rankings; and    prioritizing the plurality of improvable development processes based upon each of the plurality of improvable development processes' priority rankings.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the identifying further comprises: 
 receiving an idea;    receiving a plurality of list reduction classifications from a plurality of team members;    computing a majority list reduction classification based upon the plurality of list reduction classifications; and    determining whether the idea is an improvable development process based upon the majority list reduction classification.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising: 
 identifying an originator list reduction classification;    determining whether the originator list reduction classification is different than the majority list reduction classification; and    overriding the majority list reduction classification with the originator list reduction classification based upon the determination.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the plurality of rankings is selected from the group consisting of a poor resource use probability ranking, an ineffective process probability ranking, and a schedule impact probability ranking.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 selecting a highest priority improvable development process based upon the prioritizing;    assigning an owner to the highest priority improvable development process; and    sending monitoring updates to the owner, wherein the monitoring updates correspond to the progress of the improvable development process.    
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of rankings are received from a plurality of team members.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the calculating further comprises: 
 multiplying the plurality of rankings for one of the plurality of improvable development processes, the multiplying resulting in the priority ranking.    
     
     
         8 . A program product comprising: 
 computer operable medium having computer program code, the computer program code being effective to: 
 identify a plurality of improvable development processes;  
 apply a plurality of rankings to each of the plurality of improvable development processes;  
 calculate a priority ranking for each of the plurality of improvable development processes using each of the improvable design processes' corresponding plurality of rankings; and  
 prioritize the plurality of improvable development processes based upon each of the plurality of improvable development processes' priority rankings.  
   
     
     
         9 . The program product of  claim 8  wherein the computer program code is further effective to: 
 receive an idea;    receive a plurality of list reduction classifications from a plurality of team members;    compute a majority list reduction classification based upon the plurality of list reduction classifications; and    determine whether the idea is an improvable development process based upon the majority list reduction classification.    
     
     
         10 . The program product of  claim 9  wherein the computer program code is further effective to: 
 identify an originator list reduction classification;    determine whether the originator list reduction classification is different than the majority list reduction classification; and    override the majority list reduction classification with the originator list reduction classification based upon the determination.    
     
     
         11 . The program product of  claim 8  wherein at least one of the plurality of rankings is selected from the group consisting of a poor resource use probability ranking, an ineffective process probability ranking, and a schedule impact probability ranking.  
     
     
         12 . The program product of  claim 8  wherein the computer program code is further effective to: 
 select a highest priority improvable development process based upon the prioritizing;    assign an owner to the highest priority improvable development process; and    send monitoring updates to the owner, wherein the monitoring updates correspond to the progress of the improvable development process.    
     
     
         13 . The program product of  claim 8  wherein the plurality of rankings are received from a plurality of team members.  
     
     
         14 . The program product of  claim 8  wherein the computer program code is further effective to: 
 multiply the plurality of rankings for one of the plurality of improvable development processes, the multiplying resulting in the priority ranking.    
     
     
         15 . An information handling system comprising: 
 one or more processors;    a memory accessible by the processors;    one or more nonvolatile storage devices accessible by the processors; and    a development process tool for identifying and prioritizing improvable development processes, the development process tool comprising software code effective to: 
 identify a plurality of improvable development processes that are located in one of the nonvolatile storage devices;  
 apply a plurality of rankings to each of the plurality of improvable development processes, the plurality of rankings being located in one of the nonvolatile storage devices;  
 calculate a priority ranking for each of the plurality of improvable development processes using each of the improvable design processes' corresponding plurality of rankings;  
 prioritize the plurality of improvable development processes based upon each of the plurality of improvable development processes' priority rankings; and  
 store the prioritized plurality of improvable development processes in one of the nonvolatile storage devices.  
   
     
     
         16 . The information handling system of  claim 15  wherein the software code is further effective to: 
 receive an idea over a computer network;    receive a plurality of list reduction classifications from a plurality of team members over the computer network;    compute a majority list reduction classification based upon the plurality of list reduction classifications; and    determine whether the idea is an improvable development process based upon the majority list reduction classification.    
     
     
         17 . The information handling system of  claim 16  wherein the software code is further effective to: 
 identify an originator list reduction classification that is located in one of the nonvolatile storage devices;    determine whether the originator list reduction classification is different than the majority list reduction classification; and    override the majority list reduction classification with the originator list reduction classification based upon the determination.    
     
     
         18 . The information handling system of  claim 15  wherein at least one of the plurality of rankings is selected from the group consisting of a poor resource use probability ranking, an ineffective process probability ranking, and a schedule impact probability ranking.  
     
     
         19 . The information handling system of  claim 15  wherein the software code is further effective to: 
 select a highest priority improvable development process based upon the prioritizing;    assign an owner identifier to the highest priority improvable development process; and    send monitoring updates to the owner that corresponds to the owner identifier over a computer network, wherein the monitoring updates correspond to the progress of the improvable development process.    
     
     
         20 . The information handling system of  claim 15  wherein the plurality of rankings are received from a plurality of team members.  
     
     
         21 . The information handling system of  claim 15  wherein the software code is further effective to: 
 multiply the plurality of rankings for one of the plurality of improvable development processes, the multiplying resulting in the priority ranking.    
     
     
         22 . A computer-implemented method comprising: 
 receiving a plurality of ideas;    receiving a plurality of list reduction classifications from a plurality of team members;    computing a majority list reduction classification for each of the plurality of ideas based upon the plurality of list reduction classifications;    identifying a plurality of improvable development processes based upon the plurality of majority list reduction classifications;    applying a plurality of rankings to the plurality of improvable development processes;    calculating a priority ranking for each of the plurality of improvable development processes using each of the improvable design processes' corresponding plurality of rankings; and    prioritizing the plurality of improvable development processes based upon each of the plurality of improvable development processes' priority rankings.    
     
     
         23 . A computer-implemented method comprising: 
 identifying a plurality of improvable development processes;    applying a plurality of rankings to each of the plurality of improvable development processes, wherein at least one of the plurality of rankings is selected from the group consisting of a poor resource use probability ranking, an ineffective process probability ranking, and a schedule impact probability ranking;    calculating a priority ranking for each of the plurality of improvable development processes using each of the improvable design processes' corresponding plurality of rankings; and    prioritizing the plurality of improvable development processes based upon each of the plurality of improvable development processes' priority rankings.    
     
     
         24 . A program product comprising: 
 computer operable medium having computer program code, the computer program code being effective to: 
 receive a plurality of ideas;  
 receive a plurality of list reduction classifications from a plurality of team members;  
 computing a majority list reduction classification for each of the plurality of ideas based upon the plurality of list reduction classifications;  
 identify a plurality of improvable development processes based upon the plurality of majority list reduction classifications;  
 apply a plurality of rankings to the plurality of improvable development processes;  
 calculate a priority ranking for each of the plurality of improvable development processes using each of the improvable design processes' corresponding plurality of rankings; and  
 prioritize the plurality of improvable development processes based upon each of the plurality of improvable development processes' priority rankings.  
   
     
     
         25 . A program product comprising: 
 computer operable medium having computer program code, the computer program code being effective to: 
 identify a plurality of improvable development processes;  
 apply a plurality of rankings to each of the plurality of improvable development processes, wherein at least one of the plurality of rankings is selected from the group consisting of a poor resource use probability ranking, an ineffective process probability ranking, and a schedule impact probability ranking;  
 calculate a priority ranking for each of the plurality of improvable development processes using each of the improvable design processes' corresponding plurality of rankings; and  
 prioritize the plurality of improvable development processes based upon each of the plurality of improvable development processes' priority rankings.  
   
     
     
         26 . An information handling system comprising: 
 one or more processors;    a memory accessible by the processors;    one or more nonvolatile storage devices accessible by the processors; and    a development process tool for identifying and prioritizing improvable development processes, the development process tool comprising software code effective to: 
 receive a plurality of ideas over a computer network;  
 receive a plurality of list reduction classifications from a plurality of team members over the computer network;  
 computing a majority list reduction classification for each of the plurality of ideas based upon the plurality of list reduction classifications;  
 identify a plurality of improvable development processes based upon the plurality of majority list reduction classifications;  
 apply a plurality of rankings to the plurality of improvable development processes, the plurality of rankings being located in one of the nonvolatile storage devices;  
 calculate a priority ranking for each of the plurality of improvable development processes using each of the improvable design processes' corresponding plurality of rankings;  
 prioritize the plurality of improvable development processes based upon each of the plurality of improvable development processes' priority rankings; and  
 store the prioritized plurality of improvable development processes in one of the nonvolatile storage devices.